Germany has decided to cancel the F126 frigate program, considered the country’s largest naval project since World War II, and replace it with the acquisition of up to eight MEKO A-200 frigates built by the German company TKMS.
The information comes from Naval News, citing the German publication Hartpunkt. According to the report, the decision was announced by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius after years of delays, rising costs, and uncertainty surrounding the program.
The project originally called for the construction of six F126-class frigates for the German Navy. However, the estimated cost, which initially stood at around €10 billion, was expected to exceed €18 billion. Before the cancellation, approximately €2.3 billion had already been spent on the program.
Instead, Berlin has chosen to procure eight MEKO A-200 frigates for approximately €11.6 billion. The agreement includes €6.3 billion for the first four vessels, with an option worth €5.3 billion for four additional ships.
The decision was driven by the need to rapidly strengthen the German Navy’s anti-submarine warfare capabilities and meet Germany’s commitments to NATO.
The cancellation represents a major setback for Rheinmetall, which had hoped to take over leadership of the F126 program after acquiring the shipbuilder Naval Vessels Lürssen. Meanwhile, TKMS emerges as the primary beneficiary of the decision, reinforcing its position as the leading supplier of major surface combatants for the German Navy.
According to the German government, the priority is now to acquire simpler, less expensive ships that can be delivered more quickly, amid the country’s military rearmament efforts and growing security concerns across Europe.
“This ensures that our navy receives the ships it urgently needs to defend against Russian submarines as quickly as possible. In addition to TKMS itself, several subcontractors are also involved, further strengthening Germany’s position as a center of the defense industry,” said Bastian Ernst, CDU/CSU parliamentary group spokesperson on naval affairs in the Bundestag.
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Source and images: Damen Naval | TKMS. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
